How to Spend 10 Days in Sri Lanka
This itinerary is jam packed, it may be worth spreading it out over two weeks instead of ten days.
I’ve included the places I’d recommend visiting and what to see and eat there but I’ve left the logistics and travel to you (I’m a chef after all, I’d end up giving you the wrong directions…).
You will need to do some overnight travelling to make the most of your days. This wonderful island is home to a number of cultures, making it diverse in culture, language and, most importantly, food.
When you travel around, try to immerse yourself in all of these cultures, speak to people from every one of them and eat the food that comes from each of them.
This is the best way to immerse yourself in Sri Lanka.
Colombo - Day 1
Kick off your trip in Colombo, the capital city of Sri Lanka. Head to Pettah Market in the morning and soak in the chaotic excitement of it. While you’re there, check out the Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque. Explore Colombo Fort. Throughout the day eat as much as you can (this will be a running theme in my itinerary…). Here are a few dishes to try and tick off in Colombo:
Appam/Hoppers
Kotthu Roti
Lamprais
If you’re looking for a celebratory meal in the evening, head to the Ministry of Crab to see the Sri Lankan mudcrab prepared in the most exciting and delicious way.
Jaffna - Days 2-3
I’d recommend making your way north to Jaffna next. It’s a bit of a journey but a real must to explore Sri Lanka’s northernmost point, a place of deep Tamil culture. There’s a huge amount of history to explore here, a lot of this tragic and difficult but important to understand. Amongst this there are beautiful temples such as Nallur Temple which hold huge importance to Tamil Hindus around the world. Jaffna is where my parents and my family are from, the place that shaped us and the food we eat today. Places to visit include Nallur Temple, Delft Island, Jaffna Fort, Keerimalai springs, You can also take a short ferry over to Delft Island.
What to eat:
Jaffna is famous for a vegetarian-heavy diet with classic Tamil food. There’s a huge variety of vegetables, grown on the fertile soils of Jaffna that are made into the most wonderfully fresh curries and dishes.
Fermented batters also play a huge part in the cuisine here making Dosai, idli, idiyappam and appam/hoppers.
Just because Jaffna does vegetarian food well that doesn’t mean you can miss their meat and seafood. Jaffna mutton curry is the pinnacle of Sri Lankan cuisine in my opinion and the seafood dishes are plentiful: Jaffna crab curry is an absolute spectacle and odiyal kool is a must try.
Trincomalee - Day 4
Trinco is a beautiful place, if you’re a fan of beach days and snorkelling, this is the place to do it. After a busy few days of travelling, a relaxed beach day in Trinco will be well deserved. Spend the afternoon eating fresh seafood at the restaurant of Nilaveli beach. This area has a real focus on the seafood arm of Tamil Sri Lankan cooking.
Batticaloa and Pasikuda - Day 5
Batticaloa has many fishing villages and lagoons. This is a great area to explore the food of the Muslim communities for lunch, especially their biriyani. Head over to Pasikuda where you can relax for the afternoon and enjoy some more fresh seafood for dinner.
Sigirya - Day 6
Climb Sigirya Rock and head to Minneriya National Park if you have time.
Kandy - Day 7
On the way to Kandy you can stop off at Dambulla Cave Temple.
There’s plenty to explore in Kandy itself like the Temple of the Tooth, the Old Town and of course the Sinhalese food that floods its restaurant and homes. Kandyan rice and curries are plentiful with something for everyone. I’d recommend ordering lots of dishes and sharing everything (but that goes for the entire country to be honest!). A few must tries in Kandy:
Ambul Thiyal
Mallung
Jackfruit curry
Ella - Day 8
The train journey from Kandy to Ella is a destination in itself. Beautiful countryside and tea plantations pave the way to Ella. There’s plenty of hiking to do here and tea plantations/factories to visit and, of course, the tremendous 9 Arch Bridge.
Galle - Days 9-10
Finish off this wonderful trip with a relaxing stay in Galle. There are beautiful beaches in Mirissa, Unawatuna, Ahangama and Weligama that are perfect for surfing and chilling. The food around Galle Fort is plentiful and exciting, get stuck in on an evening.